Identification medium



Oct. 19, 1965 T. B. THOMPSON 3,212,949

IDENTIFICATION MEDIUM Filed June 8, 1961 INVENTOR. Theodore .8. Thompson BY 4/- 1; .Qmf-

HIS A TTOIZZVE'Y United States Patent 3,212,949 IDENTIFICATION MEDIUM Theodore B. Thompson, Penn Hills Township, Allegheny County, Pa., assignor to Westinghouse Air Brake Company, Wilmerding, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed June 8, 1961, Ser. No. 115,649 2 Claims. (CL 156-247) This invention relates to an identification medium, and more particularly to an identification medium having alternate color bands in a coded pattern symbolic of identity characters.

In the identification of material, such as packages, vehicles, etc., numerous techniques have been devised by which information is obtained either electronically or manually by observation. For example, containers ofttimes carry labels which list the subject matter of the contents, the weight, and other factors which characterize the contents. The various techniques employed have in common the disadvantages of illegibility and short life under adverse weather conditions, and are complicated to manufacture when it is desirous to represent symbolically the data of the medium for translation into decoded form.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved identification medium for material characteristics.

Another object is to provide a vehicle identification plate bearing the information in binary code.

A further object is the provision of a method of making a vehicle identification plate which is easily performed to represent data symbolically.

Still another object is to provide an identification plate from which binary bit information may be translated readily into electrical pulses in telegraphic code for transmission via Teletype communication networks.

A complete understanding of the invention may be had from the following detailed description of a specific embodiment thereof when read in conjunction with the appended drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an identification plate in an uncompleted state; and

FIG. 2 shows the finished plate bearing alternate color bands of the information in code.

Referring to the drawing, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is shown in FIG. 1 an identification medium or plate 11 in one stage of the preparation of a finished product as depicted in FIG. 2.

A support or board 12, with a smooth surface 13 coated by colored matter such as reflective material 14 bonded thereto by painting or any well-known applique method, is covered by a protective sheet such as a mask or paper 15. The paper is serrated or perforated as indicated by the lines 16 such that strips 17 of equal width may be torn, thus exposing the reflective material 14 of the surface 13 of the board 12.

The reflective material 14 exposed by the removal of strips 17 is next covered with a distinct colored matter or non-reflective coating 18, such as paint of a suitable nonreflective color, FIG. 2, and after drying or curing of the non-reflective coating 18 the remaining protective paper 15 is removed. Since the paper lastly removed unmasks the reflective material 14 on the board surface 13, the

3,212,949 Patented Oct. 19, 1965 final product, as shown in FIG. 2, has an identification marking of alternate bands 19 of distinct colors which may be light and dark, or reflective and non-reflective.

The widths of the individual bands 19 are varied by the removal of strips 17 to meet the optical requirements of a stationary electronic scanner, or the like, by which the identification plates 11 pass to be translated, processed, and stored by logic circuitry, for example. The bands 19 symbolize the vehicle designation in Teletype code, for example, for readout by suitable electronic equipment having recognition circuitry for converting the pattern of reflection and non-reflection of light waves from plate 11 into electrical pulses indicative of the characters comprising the vehicle number.

It will be understood that various practices and modifications of my invention may be accomplished by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention.

One modification which may be appreciated readily may be the application of the color band code on a supporting surface by utilization of the protective paper as the non-reflective material color which is distinguishable from the color coating or reflective material of the surface. Also, it is manifest that strips of colored or reflective material may be pasted or bonded to a supporting surface of a different color or reflective quality. The appended claims are therefore intended to cover all such modifications and practices within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A method of making an identification medium which comprises the steps of bonding a sheet over a nonreflective supporting surface, removing selected portions of the sheet to expose selected areas of the surface, coating the exposed surface and the remaining portions of the sheet on the surface with radiant energy reflective material, drying the radiant energy reflective coating, and removing the remaining portions of the sheet whereby a surface is formed with a pattern of radiant energy reflective and non-reflective areas which establishes identity.

2. A method of making an identification medium which comprises the steps of bonding a sheet over a radiant energy reflective supporting surface, removing selected portions of the sheet to expose selected areas of the radiant energy reflective surface, coating the exposed radiant energy reflective surface and the remaining portions of the sheet on the surface with a non-reflective material, drying the non-reflective coating, and removing the remaining portions of the sheet whereby a surface is formed with a pattern of radiant energy reflective and non-reflective areas which establishes identity.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,511,953 6/50 Tallman 3524 2,725,324 11/55 Holes 156247 2,882,632 4/59 Rockwell 40135 3,017,713 l/62 Butler 40135' 3,024,155 3/62 Huber 156247 3,032,433 5/62 Lewis et al. 117-38 EARL M. BERGERT, Primary Examiner.

HAROLD ANSHER, E. V. BENI-IAM, Examiners. 

2. A METHOD OF MAKING AN INDENTIFICATION MEDIUM WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF BONDING A SHEET OVER A RADIANT ENERGY REFLECTIVE SUPPORTING SURFACE, REMOVINGD SELECTED FROM PORTIONS OF THE SHEET TO EXPOSE SELECTED AREAS OF THE RADIANT ENERGY REFLECTIVE SURFACE, COATING THE EXPOSED RADIANT ENERGY REFLECTIVE SURFACE AND THE REMAINING PORTIONS OF THE SHEET ON THE SURFACE WITH A NON-REFLECTIVE MATERIAL, DRYING THE NON-REFLECTIVE COATING, AND REMOVING THE REMAINING PORTIONS OF THE SHEET WHEREBY A SURFACE IS FORMED WITH A PATTERN OF RADIANT ENERGY REFLECTIVE AND NON-REFLECTIVE AREAS WHICH ESTABLISHES IDENTITY. 